…say hello to your new favorite beer cheese dip! ♡♡♡
We all know that beer cheese dip is the ultimate match made in snacking heaven when served hot off the stove with a batch of freshly-baked homemade pretzels. But hey, it also goes great with crunchy pretzels, tortilla chips, potato chips, crusty bread, all kinds of veggie sticks and dippers, apple slices (trust me — amazing), and so much more.
Best of all, though, this beer cheese dip recipe is an absolute breeze to make in just 15 minutes. It’s also 100% customizable with whatever type of beer and cheeses you love best. And if you feel like jazzing it up a bit, you can always mix in a can of Ro*Tel to add some chunky tomatoes and green chiles, or add in a few shakes of hot sauce to give it a spicy kick.
However you make this one, I’m certain you’re going to love it. So let’s make some beer cheese dip!
Beer Cheese Dip Ingredients
Alright, first, let’s talk ingredients. To make this beer cheese dip recipe, you will need:
Butter + flour: To form a roux, which will thicken the sauce.
Beer: I used an IPA, which gave the dip a delicious hoppy vibe. But feel free to use whatever kind of beer you love best.
Milk: I recommend using whole milk to make this dip nice and creamy. But any type of milk or half and half will do.
Shredded cheese: I used 50/50 mix of smoked gouda and sharp cheddar, which I loved. But feel free to use any kind of melting cheese that you love most (such as cheddar, gouda, gruyere, fontina or havarti). And as always when making a melted cheese dip, be sure to purchase a block of cheese and grate it yourself just before using so that the cheese will melt smoothly into the sauce.
Dijon + Worcershire sauce: Traditional ingredients used to amp up the flavor in beer cheese dip.
Smoked paprika: If you would like to add a touch of extra smoky flavor to the dip.
Salt and pepper: To season, as always.
How To Make Beer Cheese Dip
To make this beer cheese dip recipe, simply…
Make the roux. Heat butter in a large saucepan or sauté pan over medium-high heat until melted. Add flour, and whisk until completely combined.
Add the remaining ingredients. Add in the beer, milk, Dijon, Worcestershire and smoked paprika. Whisk until smooth. Continue cooking until the mixture has thickened (and has nearly reached a simmer). Add cheese and whisk until smooth.
Season. Reduce heat to low. Taste and season the dip with salt and pepper, as needed.
Serve. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
Want to customize your beer cheese dip? Feel free to…
Make it spicier: I also love adding in a few shakes of hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne to give this beer queso some extra kick.
Make it garlicky: Feel free to sauté one large clove of garlic (pressed or finely-minced) in the butter for 1 minute, before stirring in the flour, to add some garlicky flavor.
Add diced tomatoes and green chiles: If you would like to make this taste a bit more like throwback Ro*Tel queso, just add in one can of (drained!) diced tomatoes and green chiles.
More Favorite Dip Recipes
Looking for more stellar dip recipe? Here are a few of my favorites from our dip archives…
This classic beer cheese dip is easy to make with whatever type of beer and cheeses you love best!
Ingredients
Scale
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup beer
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (smooth or grainy)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
2 cups (8 ounces) freshly-shredded cheese (I used half sharp cheddar, half smoked gouda)
sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Make the roux. Heat butter in a large saucepan or sauté pan over medium-high heat until melted. Add flour, and whisk until completely combined.
Add the remaining ingredients. Add in the beer, milk, Dijon, Worcestershire and smoked paprika. Whisk until smooth. Continue cooking until the mixture has thickened (and has nearly reached a simmer). Add cheese and whisk until smooth.
Season. Reduce heat to low. Taste and season the dip with salt and pepper, as needed.
Serve. Serve immediately and enjoy! (Dip will thicken a bit the longer it sets.)
Notes
Cheese: Be sure to purchase a block of cheese and shred it yourself (using a box grater or a food processor grating attachment) just before adding it to the recipe. Store-bought shredded cheese typically has a coating that prevents the cheese from melting smoothly, so it’s best to grate it yourself.
Consistency: If the dip seems a bit too thick, just whisk in some extra milk. If it seems a bit too thin, add in a bit more cheese. (Although remember that the dip will thicken considerably the longer it sits.)
First time I made this I used all medium cheddar, Shiner Bock beer and added some cayenne; it was perfect and addicting! Second time I tried 50/50 cheddar and Gouda. The Gouda didn’t melt well even tho it was freshly grated. Kinda grainy. But still yummy. Third time, when I went to add the beer I discovered my husband had drunk the last bottle of Shiner Bock in the 10 minutes since I started cooking and all we had left was a really heavy, dark stout. It was Valentine’s Day so I forgave hubby but the sauce turned out a little bitter. We still ate it, though, lol! Lessons learned for me: we prefer all freshly grated cheddar, and from now on I’ll keep one bottle of Shiner Bock hidden since the decision to make pretzel dog bites with beer cheese sauce is usually spontaneous:) :)
OH EM GEE!! This looks delicious! Definitely pinning so I remember to make this.
Would I be able to leave this on “warm” in a crockpot to serve?
Do you think I could make this ahead of time and re-heat it in a lil dipper?
Unfortunately I’ve found that this dip doesn’t reheat all that well. I would recommend making it just before you plan to serve it. :)
If I made this without the beer, do you think I would need to substitute in another amount of liquid in its place?
Delicious!!! Made as written using 2 cups of shredded cheddar. It was quick and east to make and was perfect with pretzels. Will make this again!!!
Is there anything I can use in place of the beer? I’m pregnant and paranoid about drinking or eating anything with alcohol, even if it’s cooked off.
Use an non alcoholic beer.
See if you can find a good non alcoholic beer. As the beer is the flavour.
Delicious! Goes great with pretzel bites. I used cheddar and Gouda and Miller lite.
First time I made this I used all medium cheddar, Shiner Bock beer and added some cayenne; it was perfect and addicting! Second time I tried 50/50 cheddar and Gouda. The Gouda didn’t melt well even tho it was freshly grated. Kinda grainy. But still yummy. Third time, when I went to add the beer I discovered my husband had drunk the last bottle of Shiner Bock in the 10 minutes since I started cooking and all we had left was a really heavy, dark stout. It was Valentine’s Day so I forgave hubby but the sauce turned out a little bitter. We still ate it, though, lol! Lessons learned for me: we prefer all freshly grated cheddar, and from now on I’ll keep one bottle of Shiner Bock hidden since the decision to make pretzel dog bites with beer cheese sauce is usually spontaneous:) :)
Love it.
Turned out awesome.
Used my leftover cheese squares and fresh beer.
Everything you would expect in a great party dip. Works great in any hollowed out round loaf of bread.